Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro Review – Vitamin B6 and BCAAs FTW

Have you ever relied on the powers of vitamin B6 and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to help increase anabolism and decrease catabolism? If you haven’t, this Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro review hints at relying on that effective combination in trying to achieve your fitness goals.

About Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro

Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro “contains a precise and scientifically-suggested 2:1:1 ratio of key BCAAs. BCAAs play a key role in maintaining anabolism and decreasing muscle catabolism, which are of utmost importance for bodybuilders and strength trainers alike,” per the manufacturer’s official website. Formula notes:

High-quality BCAA product. One of the top BCAA supplements on Labdoor.com.

Long story short, BCAA supplements help you remain in an anabolic state in and out of the gym. BCAAs are essential amino acids; meaning the body doesn’t synthesize them. One must obtain them from whole foods and supplements. Whether you take a BCAA product in powder (such as GAT Sport FLEXX BCAAs, which has an insane seven grams of BCAAs and 3.5 grams of l-leucine per 11.5-gram scoop) or capsule form (such as Do Vitamins BCAA Capsules, one of the highest-ranked BCAAs on Labdoor.com), it’s sure to help you gain that crucial anabolic edge.

On that note, we’re hoping Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro can do just that. This supplement “contains a precise and scientifically-suggested 2:1:1 ratio of key BCAAs. BCAAs play a key role in maintaining anabolism and decreasing muscle catabolism, which are of utmost importance for bodybuilders and strength trainers alike,” per the manufacturer’s official website.

If you train hard in the gym, you should do whatever it takes to increase anabolism (muscle-building) and ward off catabolism (muscle loss). Branched-chain amino acids can do just these, and then some. We’re confident Universal Nutrition Amino BCAA Pro can pull off a few surprises in that regard.

Formulation

Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro has one gram of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) per two-capsule serving. It follows the traditional 2:1:1 ratio which many experts believe help you reap the full benefits of BCAAs. One gram of BCAAs per serving may not seem like much, but when it comes right down to it, it’s all about quality over quantity. Let’s see how Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro stacks up against the competition, per Labdoor.com:

“Mg (magnesium) is an essential mineral involved in energy metabolism, cardiorespiratory function, and muscle actions. The general population, even physically active individuals, is documented to have insufficient Mg intake. Exercise performance may be compromised with deficient Mg levels,” per the August 28, 2017 issue of Nutrients (via NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov).

According to Labdoor.com, Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro contains “9.2 percent of its RDA [recommended dietary allowance] for men 19-30 years of age and 8.8 percent of its RDA for men 31-50 years of age; 11.9 percent of its RDA for women 19-30 years of age and 11.6 percent of its RDA for women 31-50 years of age). The key takeaway: Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro should not only help improve your exercise performance, but your long-term health as well.

On the other hand, zinc also plays a key role in exercise performance. “A decline in cardiovascular function and total work capacity of skeletal muscles as a result of acute zinc depletion further emphasizes zinc’s role in exercise performance,” per the September 14, 2014 issue of OMICS International. Zinc also has other important health benefits:

It’s clear zinc and magnesium are two health and fitness virtuosos which bode well for your body. We’re glad they’re in Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro.

Another key feature of this supplement is its ingredient safety, which checks in at an impressive 92 percent. According to Labdoor.com, the average for BCAA supplements is 88 percent. Granted, it’s not a big difference, but anytime a bodybuilding product is this safe, you give it a shot.

Bear this in mind: Universal Nutrition’s products are not the cleanest in the industry. For instance, Universal Amino Octane has FD&C Blue No. 1 (an artificial food coloring with several side effects) and sucralose (an artificial sweetener which has links to obesity and the like). On the other hand, Universal Nutirition Animal Pak, a popular pre-workout supplement, has several fillers (FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Red No. 40, and FD&C Blue No. 1). It’s rare to find a clean supplement from this particular product line. We’re proud to say Universal BCAA Pro stands out in this regard. Could it be a paradigm shift on the manufacturer’s part? We certainly hope so.

Universal BCAA Pro also stands out in terms of product purity – Labdoor.com gave it a grade of 90 percent. “Bulk samples of this product passed all six heavy metal assays, including presence of under 1 PPM (part per million) of arsenic, lead, cadmium, bismuth, antimony, and silver,” per the website. That’s good news all around.

Alas, Universal BCAA Pro falters in terms of label accuracy. It garnered a paltry score of 56 percent from Labdoor.com (which is almost at par with the category average of 55 percent). The website says, “This product contains 13.5 percent isoleucine by concentration. The claimed serving size (1,000 mg) will yield 135.0 mg of isoleucine, 46.0 percent below its 250-mg label claim.”

There’s no question Universal BCAA Pro’s poor showing in this area pulled its value down. Had it done better (more specifically, had it been truer to its isoleucine label claim), it would’ve shot up the Labdoor BCAA rankings in a heartbeat (another top BCAA product which sputtered in label accuracy is Sheer BCAA, which scored 66 percent on Labdoor).

BCAA Content, 1 gram

Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro has one gram of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) on a 2:1:1 BCAA ratio per two-capsule serving. That much may not blow you away (not as much as GAT Sport FLEXX BCAAs which has an insane seven grams of BCAAs and 3.5 grams of l-leucine per serving), but like we said: quality precedes quantity. Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro’s amount of BCAAs may pale in comparison to competitors, but its outstanding nutritional value (97 percent), ingredient safety (92 percent), and product purity (90 percent) make it stand out.

This supplement has 500 milligrams of l-leucine per two-capsule serving. This is the most anabolic amino acid which helps kickstart the muscle protein synthesis (MPS) process. “The branched-chain amino acid leucine occupies a position of prominence in that alone can act as a stimulatory signal for muscle protein synthesis. Furthermore, peak leucinaemia appears, at least in part, to dictate the amplitude of the muscle anabolic response to protein ingestion,” per the May 2012 issue of The Journal of Physiology (via NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov).

L-leucine also helps preserve hard-earned muscle mass, torch fat, and ward off inflammation. Contemporary studies reveal it’s more – much more – than just an anabolic agent. If you’re iffy about Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro’s 500 milligrams of l-leucine per serving, you can always complement this with a top-notch protein supplement.

On the other hand, Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro has 250 milligrams each of l-isoleucine and l-valine. Both of these BCAAs help increase endurance and repair muscle tissue. For its part, l-valine helps improve sleep quality, keep anxiety at bay, boost immunity, and suppress appetite. L-isoleucine helps maintain a positive nitrogen balance, shorten exercise recovery time, produce hemoglobin, and promote healthy blood sugar levels. It’s a shame Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro doesn’t deliver on its promise of 250 milligrams of l-isoleucine per serving. Labdoor claims one serving gives you just 135 milligrams of l-isoleucine, which is well short of what the manufacturer indicated on the label. Clearly, that’s shortchanging the customers. No doubt about it.

Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine HCl), 2 milligrams

Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro has two milligrams of vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine hydrochloride) per two-capsule serving. This gives you an impressive 100 percent of the daily value for this micronutrient (a minimum daily value of 15 percent is high).

As early as 1982, researchers have pointed out vitamin B6’s ability to increase human growth hormone (HGH) levels in conjunction with exercise (particularly strength training). On that note, 100 percent of the daily value for vitamin B6 should complement Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro’s 500 milligrams of l-leucine per serving quite nicely.

Let’s rattle off vitamin B6’s other key benefits:

Boosts cardiovascular, immune, nervous, and renal system function

Improves metabolic rate

Helps maintain healthy hormone levels in the body

Wards off dandruff, eczema, dry skin, hair loss, and acne

We daresay the inclusion of vitamin B6 makes Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro stand out from other BCAA products. Not too many of them have vitamin B6 (which you can also find in most multivitamins). Better grab this golden opportunity.

Formula Analysis

Without a doubt, Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro, the so-called “Precise and Scientifically-Proven 2:1:1 Ratio of Key BCAAs,” is one unique supplement. The impressive combination of two milligrams of vitamin B6 and one gram of branched-chain amino acids per two-capsule serving backs up our claim. It wouldn’t have made it to Labdoor’s Top BCAA list for nothing.

The main reason: this supplement’s BCAA quality is one of the best in the business. Look no further than its high grades in nutritional value (97 percent), ingredient safety (92 percent), and product purity (90 percent), per Labdoor.com. When you supplement with Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro, you get key amounts of vitamin B6, magnesium, and zinc. Vitamin B6 has a reputation of improving heart health. However, it also helps boost metabolism and ramp up human growth hormone (HGH) levels – two impressive benefits for individuals who are trying to muscle up and lean out.

As for magnesium and zinc, they have a plethora of health benefits (increase testosterone levels and improved sleep quality, among other things). Not only that, but they also positively impact exercise performance. We’re pleased Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro gives you ample amounts of both.

This supplement’s one gram of BCAAs per two-capsule serving may seem minuscule on paper, but don’t let it deceive you: their quality is one of the best in the business. Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro wouldn’t have earned stellar grades in several Labdoor criteria if it had sub-par BCAA content. We said it before, we’ll say it again: sometimes, less is more.

Another thing worth repeating: Universal Nutrition doesn’t exactly have a stellar reputation in terms of product purity. Most of its supplements we’ve sized up here on B5 contain fillers. We’re stoked Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro doesn’t. We hope this is a sign of better things to come from the manufacturer.

The company also scores high marks in terms of transparency – it breaks down all of the ingredient amounts. You won’t find any shady proprietary blends in Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro. We give this move a huge thumbs-up.

In terms of reputation, Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro has exceeded customers’ expectations – they’ve given this supplement high marks online. They say it has complemented their fitness routine perfectly.

Just about the only glaring flaw of this supplement is label accuracy, specifically its l-isoleucine content. As Labdoor.com pointed out, one two-capsule serving supposedly yields 25o milligrams. Unfortunately, it gives you just 135 milligrams (which is 46 percent below the label claim). No wonder Labdoor gave Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro a grade of just 56 percent in this area. Had this product done better in this regard, it would’ve blown other BCAA products out of the water.

Nevertheless, Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro is an impressive BCAA supplement worth buying. Harnessing the impressive powers of vitamin B6 and BCAAs should help you achieve your fitness goals in the long run.

Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro Benefits

“BCAAs play a key role in maintaining anabolism and decreasing catabolism, which are of utmost importance for bodybuilders and strength trainers alike,” per the manufacturer’s official website.

Who Takes It?

The manufacturer intended Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro for healthy and active individuals who are at least 18 years of age who want to increase muscle mass, endurance, and fat loss; shorten exercise recovery time, ward off fatigue, keep delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) at bay, and achieve their long-term fitness goals.

Any Side Effects?

While Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro has no glaring side effects, please consult your doctor if you feel doubtful about any of its ingredients.

The manufacturer also issues a warning:

Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro Review Summary

Pros

High-quality BCAA product. One of the top BCAA supplements on Labdoor.com.

Cons

Pricing & Where to Buy

1 100-serving bottle (50-Day Supply): $16.95

Available online and in retail

Final Word on Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro

After a thorough analysis, we say Universal Nutrition BCAA Pro is one of the most unique and cleanest BCAA supplements on the market. You can’t go wrong with its outstanding nutritional value, ingredient safety, and product purity. Combine vitamin B6 and the three branched-chain amino acids, and you get four micronutrients which help you achieve your fitness goals day in and day out.